From Chubby to Champion

Back in August, Billy and I went to Mexico for a lovely weeklong vacation with two of his co-workers. I love Mexican food and spent the entire week, pretty much eating everything that I wanted to. Combine that with working on a very busy truck and not really eating healthy at home or really working out that much, I am embarrassed to say that I was tipping the scales at a hefty 21o pounds! I was actually weighing more than my husband who is six inches taller than me.

During this portly period, I didn't actually feel unhealthy, but I couldn't mentally accept being over two hundred pounds. I picked up the phone and called my favorite trainer, Kellie Diehl. I used to work with Kellie about a year ago, but I let life dictate my schedule and just got too busy to schedule any more workouts. We got together and this time I had a concrete goal in mind. Lose twenty pounds, right? WRONG!! I love running and enjoy participating in races, so I decided that I wanted to get faster.

My average pace at the time was about 12:30/mile. Not too shabby, but I was thirsting for something quicker, say, maybe 10:00/mile. Kellie's workouts are amazing! We started working on strength and balance. Kellie started getting trained in Pilates, so she started incorporating that into our workouts as well. Almost immediately, I began to feel better. I had more energy and after a few weeks I could actually see muscles that I didn't have before. :-)

The gym has monthly challenges and since I love competition, I was totally game for it. The first challenge that we did was the "Tri-Scooter" challenge. It involved rowing, running and biking. I got first place for the women and won a new Under Armor workout shirt. Kellie informed of this at one of our workouts and said that she told them I would need a medium shirt. When she said this my response was, "Medium? I don't think that's gonna fit me!" About a week later, I came into the personal training area and there was my shirt, hanging up waiting for me. I tried it on and WHOA! It fit! I couldn't believe I was wearing a medium. By this time, I had already weighed in once or twice and found that I had lost 7 pounds.

A few weeks later was Thanksgiving and my week of races finishing the Women's half Marathon (where I shaved 17 minutes off of last year's time) and the Space Coast Marathon (where I finished ;-)

I continued to meet Kellie twice a week through December and just before she left for vacation in Texas, we met for a workout. Going with a Christmas theme, one of the trainers came up with a workout called "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Individually the exercises seemed innocuous, however strung together they are pure brutality. She left for Texas and I had homework over the Christmas break. I had a crazy amount of discipline and worked out 5 of the 7 days between Christmas and New Year's.

After New Year's we resumed our twice weekly sessions and ultimately time came for another weigh-in. Over the break, I had weighed in at a weight loss of seventeen pounds total. At 193, I was excited to be back to my previous weight. I got on the scale and couldn't believe what I saw - 188. One! Hundred! Eighty! Eight! Pounds! I had lost a total of 22 pounds!! I actually started crying. I couldn't believe what started out as a way to speed up turned into my slimming down.

To make things even better, other people have noticed my weight loss as well. Co-workers constantly ask, "Have you lost weight?" I always break into a big smile and say, "Twenty-Two pounds!" The best thing though was the other night, I was putting on my pajamas when Billy pointed out that he could see my "man cleavage." This is a total compliment to me. Man cleavage is that nice little line that guys get along side their abs that makes a little V that runs from their abs down past their waistband. It is super sexy and I have always wanted it. Pink also has this gorgeous man cleavage as well as Mark Wahlberg.

22 pounds is amazing. I feel better, I look better and I am a whole lot happier. Another thing I've learned is to go out and have fun with my runs. This weekend is my first race of 2011, the Newnan's Lake 15K and I've already registered for 6 other races this year, The Gate River run in Jacksonville, the 5 Points of Life Half Marathon, the Disney Princess Half Marathon, the AFLAC Iron Girl Half Marathon, and the Women's Half Marathons in St. Pete and Tempe, AZ.

I remember when I thought a 5K was a long race, now, that is a warm-up run for me. Who would have ever thought that I would call myself a runner?

Runner and Athlete.

I love it!